his bright blue eyes looking at his bare walls. Bereft of his designs, ideas, plans - for an android.
Plans that might never see the light of day.
How surprised they had been when he actually asked his work be taken away! No doubt they thought it another escape attempt. He, himself, was unsure what it was. All he knew was that someone desperately wanted him to have his work hidden away. So he obliged and waited now to find out why.
So deep was he in his thoughts, he didn't notice the white suited and helmeted figure as it dropped from the ceiling, strangely silent for one so heavy. Just behind the guards assigned to his cell after his odd request. However he sat up in time to see the figure give both guards an obvious Vulcan nerve pinch, causing them to crumple to the ground.
The figure's clothing reminded him of some 20th century earth movie. Star - something, Star Battle? He couldn't remember. It had never really engaged him. The incestual kiss between the brother and sister in one of them had turned him off the movies completely. Really, he preferred the old silent films. Phantom Of The Opera, The Hunchback Of Notre Dame - that Lon Chaney could really act.
From withing the depths of the helmet, a female voice rang out. "Your work, it's all hidden?"
"I had them remove it this afternoon." Soong replied, straightening his grey hair with his left hand. His tall, once lanky body coming easily to it's feet.
"Good, we don't want it to fall into the wrong hands." The voice sounded a bit cold, yet there was just a hint of disgust as the woman spoke. It seemed to be directed at Soong.
The door opened and Soong stepped out. The woman knelt and offered her hands, fingers laced.
He placed one foot in them. Whomever she was, she was surprisingly strong, boosting him easily
to the ceiling. A second later as he slipped into the air duct, she followed, somehow making the
jump from the floor and pulling herself up with a barely discernable grunt. Shocking,
considering she was obviously out of shape. Soong didn't stop to ponder this as she was
prodding him to go forward.
They went onwards for about fifty meters when she stopped him just as he passed a cross point by tugging on his ankle.
"I'm going left, back up and follow me." She whispered.
It was taking forever and Soong's knees were hurting painfully. However his own discomfort did not stop him from noticing the sounds of fighting below them. He paused at a grating, peeking through to down below where he saw guards being fired upon by people in white suits with helmets.
"Come on, Soong." The woman said, the coldness still there. Or was it more like - Vulcan emotionlessness? "We need to get you out of here before they make it to your cell."
They kept on. Soong sweating as he followed the woman through the winding ducts. How she knew where to go, he was unsure, yet somehow he found himself dropping from the ceiling into her waiting grip in the vehicle bay. She set him on his feet as he once again marveled at her strength. However he didn't have time to wonder how she came to be so strong for she was already pulling him towards a hover cycle. She jumped on, him behind her, putting his arms as far around her more then ample waist as he could. Actually, she was smaller then the outfit made her look for his hands nearly met in the middle, but she was still obviously heavier then healthy.
They roared out. Soong had to close his eyes tightly for the wind whipping in them. At least until she reached back and slapped something on top of his head. A helmet not unlike her's suddenly forming around his head. Much more advanced technology then available on earth.
And as the helmet took shape, music suddenly roared in his ears. Inwardly he groaned.
Elvis.
Elvis Presley. Hadn't this woman ever heard of Frank Sinatra? Mel Torme? Why Elvis? And why this song?
"Come on baby I'm tired of talkin', grab your coat and let's start walkin'..." Sang out the long dead king of rock-n-roll. The music seemed to energize the driver. She began pulling maneuvers Soong hadn't know was possible.
They cruised sideways along walls to avoid pedestrians. As law enforcement attempted to catch them she managed to avoid them by the skin of her teeth by darting between them. She ducked down and so did Soong as a low hanging branch threatened to rip them off their seat.
Then came the barrel roll.
They were being chased. Not by law enforcement but by two of those helmeted people. Soong wasn't sure how they had caught up so quickly, but they did. One got over them and tried to grab for Soong. That's when she did the barrel roll and Soong lost his grip.
He was falling straight towards the second bike when a hand grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and lifted him easily back into his seat.
Elvis was still wailing in his ears when he noticed they were heading for the river. These bikes might be able to hover and even get some lift like earlier, but they weren't suppose to go over water.
Soong prepared for the expected dip that never came. As Elvis belted out the last verse of the song a small ship came out of the water.
A small Vulcan ship.
The door opened and the bike turned to the side as she hit the brakes, hard, jumping from the bike and yanking Soong in after her. It seemed she didn't intend to add stealing government property to her list of crimes.
As the hatch shut she yanked Soong over and popped him into a seat, then dropped into her's.
Taking off, straight up, well out of earth's atmosphere before she finally removed her helmet.
Soong had expected a Vulcan. Her tone of voice, the more then human strength, incredible reflexes.
Soong was wrong.
There was a cloud of nearly white blond hair, messed from the helmet, pulled back with what some called an "Alice band" to reveal a small, pierced, round ear. A human ear. A pair of amazing grey eyes turned towards him. Flickering with the disgust he had sensed in her voice earlier.
"Well, Dr. Frankenstein," she said, the nasty name betraying her despite her cool, Vulcan-esce tone, "you've just escaped being kidnaped by the Romulans. Now, do you have anyone whom you'd trust to protect you further?"
"My name is Dr. Arik Soong, not Frankenstein. If you're referring to my - children - I've.
learned the error of my ways. And yes, there is someone I trust, though I doubt he trusts me
much." Soong forced himself to not sigh, not focus too much on the too recent and too painful
past. "Captain Jonathan Archer of the Enterprise."
"Hang on then, we're bound to be chased again once the Romulans regroup. Let's go find this Captain Archer."
Was Soong imagining it, or was there just a hint of trepidation in that cool voice?